Roundup: soaring infection rates force curfews, lockdowns across Europe

Madrid Desk, Oct 23 (efe-epa).- Belgium has temporarily limited non-urgent surgeries and tightened measures in sporting venues as it extends restrictions on top of curfew measures, while in the Czech Republic cases continue to mount despite draconian measures.

Portuguese lawmakers have passed a bill requiring face masks in public for the next three months as regional leaders in Italy called on the government to reimpose a nationwide lockdown amid alarming infection rates.

BELGIUM

With the European Union’s highest infection rate per capita, Belgian authorities have decided to further tighten restrictions on social life in addition to nighttime curfew measures introduced earlier this week.

Belgium has a 14-day cumulative Covid-19 incidence rate of 1,013 infections per 100,000 inhabitants, but in hotspots like Brussels and Liège that rate is closer to 1,500.

The public will no longer be able to attend professional sport events, starting with the Belgian Pro League games between Kortrijk and Anderlecht tonight.

New limits will be enforced on classroom capacity and religious services.

The country’s foreign minister, Sophie Wilmès, is among the over 570 people currently in ICU across the country.

CZECH REPUBLIC

The Czech Republic has the second highest incidence rate in the European Union with 1,066 infections per 100,000 citizens and health authorities on Friday logged another 14,000 cases.